July is here. For most of the country, the weather is sunny and warm (or downright stinging hot). In the simplest terms, it’s prime beer-drinking weather. From IPAs to pilsners to wheat beers and everything in between, July is a beer-drinkers dream.
The key though, especially in the summer months, is finding the right beers to enjoy. While nobody will fault you for sticking to that same lager you’ve been drinking summer after summer, why not try something new this year? You’ll be glad you did, and we have the recommendations to expand your summer beer list.
July is littered with seasonal favorites, limited releases, and new beers. Lucky for you, we found some of the best. Keep scrolling to see eight of the best beers to chase down this month.
Anderson Valley Cherry Gose
ABV: 4.2%
Average Price: $13 for a six-pack
The Beer:
This summer favorite is a kettle-soured beer with pale 2-row malts, malted wheat, rice hulls, house yeast, and Chinook hops. It gets its unique flavor from the juice of Michigan-grown Montmorency sour cherries. It’s a great mix of fruity sweetness, tart flavors, and salt.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is heavy on tart cherries, citrus, and slight salinity. The palate has lactic acid, tart cherries, a fruity sweetness, citrus peels, and a subtle salty flavor throughout. It’s sweet, lightly acidic, tart, and gently salty.
Bottom Line:
If you’re a gose fan who also enjoys sweet, tart cherry flavors, this is the beer for you. The salinity throughout only helps the experience.
Bear Republic Racer 7 Hazy IPA
ABV: 7%
Average Price: $13 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Bear Republic Racer 5 is one of the most well-known IPAs on the market. Recently, the California-based brewery dropped a hazy IPA called Racer 7. Brewed with hazy strain yeast, malted barley, oat, and wheat, it gets its hop presence from the use of Galaxy, Citra, and Hallertau Blanc.
Tasting Notes:
Classic hazy IPA aromas of tropical fruits, citrus peels, and floral hops greet you before your first sip. The palate continues this trend with an oat-driven creamy mouthfeel as well as pineapple, grapefruit, mango, orange peels, and floral, piney hops. The finish is sweet and fruity with very little bitterness.
Bottom Line:
This fruity, juicy style is well-suited for summer sipping. Racer 7 is another great addition to the pantheon of hazy IPAs.
Narragansett Del’s Shandy
ABV: 4.7%
Average Price: $12 for a six-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
Narragansett Del’s Shandy is the definition of summer in a can. This collaboration between Narragansett and Del’s Frozen Lemonade Stand is a mix of classic, crisp lager, and lemon concentrate. The result is a citrus-filled, highly refreshing summer staple.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a ton of lemon on the nose. It’s tough to discern anything else, but that’s the point. There’s more to the palate with the crisp lager underneath making an appearance along with lemon peels, orange zest, and a slightly tart acidity. The finish is sweet and lemony with very little bitterness. All in all, it’s very refreshing.
Bottom Line:
This beer is touted as a lemon radler made with real lemon concentrate and that’s exactly what it is. It’s a beer for people looking for a no-frills citrus-filled summer crusher.
Firestone Walker Mystic Shadows
ABV: 6%
Average Price: Limited Availability
The Beer:
This limited-release West Coast IPA from the brewers at Firestone Walker is New Zealand through and through. This is because of the liberal use of New Zealand-grown hops Nelson Sauvin, Rakau, Moutere, and Motueka. This results in a fruity, well-balanced, and highly drinkable IPA.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is a classic West Coast IPA with ripe fruit, citrus peels, light malts, and bright pine. The palate, on the other hand, is a little different and that’s thanks in large part to the use of New Zealand hops. There are flavors of ripe berries, pale malts, candied orange peels, pineapple, and watermelon. The finish is slightly bitter and memorably piney.
Bottom Line:
This is one for the IPA fans who prefer a little West Coast flavor as well as a dollop of unique New Zealand hop flavor and aroma.
Bronx Summer Pale Ale
ABV: 5.2%
Average Price: $15 for a six-pack
The Beer:
If you’ve never tried a beer from the Bronx Brewery, now is your chance. It’s a Summer Pale Ale brewed with Munton’s Extra Pale malt and Briess Ashburne Mild malt as well as Delta and Exp. 04190 hops. It’s known for its crisp refreshing flavor featuring a nice mix of malts, citrus, and hops.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is littered with aromas of cereal grain, lemon zest, and floral yet piney hops. Drinking it reveals notes of sweet malts, light fruit, lemongrass, orange peel, more cereal grain, and a ton of floral herbal hops. The finish is a mix of citrus and lightly bitter hops. Overall, this is a very refreshing summery pale ale.
Bottom Line:
This is a classic, complex, well-balanced, and citrus-forward pale ale that you’ll go back to summer after summer. It’s that good.
Weldwerks Vacay Everyday
ABV: 8.8%
Average Price: $16 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
Who wouldn’t want to retire early and take a vacation every day? While that’s not an option for most of us, at least we can get that feeling every time we crack open a Weldwerks Vacay Everyday. This 8.8% ABV hazy IPA is brewed to taste like a trip to a tropical island with Sabro, Citra, and Lotus hops.
Tasting Notes:
Pineapple, grapefruit, coconut, tangerine, vanilla, and floral hops greet you on the nose. On the palate, you’ll find more of a tropical oasis including orange peel, coconut grapefruit, caramelized pineapple, guava, and just a hint of herbal earthy hops. The finish is a perfect mix of tropical sweetness and hop bitterness.
Bottom Line:
This is a very aptly named beer. Every time you crack one of these juicy tropical fruit-filled IPAs you’ll be transported to a tropical paradise.
Wynwood La Rubia
ABV: 5%
Average Price: $12 for a six-pack
The Beer:
When it comes to summer refreshment, it’s tough to beat the appeal of a well-made blonde ale. Wynwood La Rubia is one of the best. This 5% ABV brew is made with German Pilsner malts, British Crystal malts, Czech Saaz hops, and German ale yeast. It’s light, crisp, and highly flavorful.
Tasting Notes:
With aromas of cereal grains, sweet malts, ripe fruit, honey, and floral hops, this nose is definitely a good start. The palate is highlighted by freshly baked bread, more cereal grains, clover honey, citrus peels, tropical sweetness, and floral yet lightly bitter hops. All in all, it’s a very refreshing beer.
Bottom Line:
Crisp, pleasantly sweet, and well-balanced are the best phrases to describe this summery blonde ale. Stock up and enjoy it all summer long.
AleSmith Limeberry Twist
ABV: 4.7%
Average Price: $12 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Thirst-quenching ability is extremely important when it comes to July beers. One of the best is AleSmith Limeberry Twist. This Gose gets its flavors from the addition of lime and raspberry and just a hint of sea salt. The result is sweet, tart, and pleasantly salty.
Tasting Notes:
Complex aromas of ripe raspberries, lime zest, tropical fruits, and sea salt are the first scents to hit your nostrils. Drinking it reveals more raspberry, wet grass, acidic citrus, more berries, and salinity throughout. It’s tart, salty, and extremely refreshing on a hot day.
Bottom Line:
The gose style (especially fruited goses) is perfect for July heat. AleSmith’s Limeberry Twist is definitely one to add to the list.
